Congratulations to the nine paddlers who participated in the first paddle of the 2008 season!  The weather was cloudy and relatively warm.  A little ice breaking along the shore made launching easy.  After launching, we paddled up the Seneca River toward Jay’s Landing.  There was some ice on the river, but there was also a lot of open water.  It’s a strange feeling when you paddled up on a sheet of submerged ice, but easy to retreat back to open water.  Our pace was relaxed and after a little over an hour, we reached Jay’s Landing and reversed direction.  We made good time since we were now paddling with the current.  We were not lucky enough to see the two eagles that were spotted last weekend, but we did pass the two swans that were on guard in their usual location.  They really didn’t seem to be interested in us. 

	Upon arriving back at the launch site,one of our member decided to do a roll.  Believe it or not, this roll was not an accident.  It was intentional and done very well.

After loading the boats, we proceeded to Pier 57 in Liverpool for another after paddle fireside dinner. The food and conversation were great.

Although the Seneca River is not a particularly scenic paddle, the camaraderie of the paddlers made for a wonderful paddle.  The best part of our paddles is always the opportunity to share the experience with our paddling friends.  We are looking forward  to continuing our quest to paddle every month of 2008.  Here’s hoping that February cooperates.  Be sure to watch the Web site for more paddling information.